Hollow Knight: Silksonghas been in production since 2019, which means I’ve had over six years to play and beat its predecessor,Hollow Knight. And play it I did, clocking in over 53 hours of playtime and achieving a completion percentage of 102%. As someone who rarely strives for perfection in games, I felt pretty proud of that accomplishment.
Reaching 102% seemed impressive until I discovered thatHollow Knighthas a potential maximum of 112%. On top of this, while I managed to squeak past the threshold and technically completed the game (twice),I could never defeat the final boss. You might think this would discourage me, but it’s had quite the opposite effect:I can’t wait to fail to beat the final boss ofSilksong,too.
I Could Never Defeat The Radiance In Hollow Knight
But I Still Feel Like I “Beat” The Game
Hollow Knightwas the first Metroidvania I ever played (if you don’t count startingMetroid Primeand promptly quitting when the map kept getting me turned around and walking in circles). I mentioned my hours played not because it’s a big number—my playtime pales in comparison to that of many other fans—but becauseit’s a testament to just how strongly the game gripped me,despite it being a genre I was wholly unfamiliar with.
I loved every moment I had withHollow Knight,from slowly learning how to navigate around the Hallownest to discovering secret areas and quirky characters. I collected grubs, tested out different charm combinations, and acquired new skills to bypass obstacles. By the time I got to the final boss, I was sure I had it in the bag.
There are several endings inHollow Knight,and I managed to get two of them. And then,I unleashed the true final boss, the Radiance, and suddenly found myself up against a wall.Up until that point, I had managed to defeat every boss that the game threw my way. I had climbed my way through the darkness of the Deepnest (one of the hardest parts of the game world for me) and had somehow managed to make it through the treacherous platforming nightmare of the White Palace. Defeating the game’s final boss should have been no trouble, right?
“I had unlocked two Hollow Knight endings, reached 102% completion, and I would never beat the game’s final boss—and that was fine with me.”
Yet, no matter how many times I tried, I didn’t just fail to beat the Radiance; I failed to make any progress at all.I just kept getting destroyed over and over again, until finally, I decided to call it quits.I had unlocked twoHollow Knightendings, reached 102% completion, and I would never beat the game’s final boss—and that was fine with me.
I’ll Probably Never Beat The Final Boss Of Hollow Knight: Silksong
I’ll Overcome Whatever The Game Throws My Way, Except The Final Boss
Team Cherry has been staying extremely quiet aboutSilksong,to the point that it’s become a meme. Even with the game’s (alleged)release coming up later this year, fans have only crumbs when it comes to new information. The studio hasshared some sprites of the game’s protagonist, a handful of new screenshots, and a few seconds of footage viewed on the screen of the new Xbox ROG Ally duringMicrosoft’s reveal of its upcoming handheld.
What we do know, though, is that the studio has already created something incredible once withHollow Knight,andnow has the experience and knowledge to build on their previous iteration. From the tiny amount that we’ve seen of the coming game, fans can expect new skills to master, areas to explore, and a whole new playstyle featuring the needle-weapon-wielding character from the first game, Hornet.
I fully expect to get to the end ofSilksong,maybe even uncover some of its endings (assuming it has more than one), then get defeated by the all-powerful end-game boss. I presume—and hope—thatthefinal boss forSilksongwill be equally brutalfor all those fans and Metroidvania experts who have been patientlywaiting for the game to come out for six years.
I Hope Hollow Knight’s Design Carries Over To Silksong
Defeating The Final Boss Was Never In The Cards For Me
Team Cherry achieved something monumental withHollow Knight:The game’s level design and progression were so expertly put together that anyone (even a newbie to the genre) could get through it. I’ve come to terms with the knowledge thatif Team Cherry had wanted me to be able to defeat the Radiance, they would have made sure I could do it.
“It was always just challenging enough to be fun, but not so challenging that it was discouraging.”
The game was designed in such a way that the first time I came across a new boss, I felt that it was impossible. Then, the more times I tried the battle, the more I learned about it and the better I got at it. Little by little, I got further and further in the fight, until I had managed to overcome the obstacle. It was always just challenging enough to be fun, but not so challenging that it was discouraging.The game fed me clues and information as I attempted fights again and again, ensuring that eventually, I would emerge victorious.
The Radiance was a whole other beast, though. It was unforgiving and exacting. After days of trying to beat the boss, I watched someone else play through the entire lengthy fight and realized something:The final boss ofHollow Knightwasn’t for me to defeat. Team Cherry managed to design a game that’s challenging yet still accessible to absolute newcomers like me, so I’m not surprised thatthe final challenge of the game was a special treat for the more hardcore fanswhodidhave what it took to finish that brutal battle.
Even if I didn’t manage to beat the last boss inHollow Knight,I never felt like I had somehow not finished the game. I got the satisfaction of taking the title past completion and even getting two endings for my troubles. WhenHollow Knight: Silksongfinally releases, I hope Team Cherry can replicate that experience of being a game that everyone can play and enjoy, with a few extreme challenges added in for the series'—and the genre’s—most hardcore fans.
